When we first met
by KaidanFangirl
Summary: Back in time- Mia Shepard is at bitoic training camp. She meets cameron, someone who understands her. But theres also another man who catches her eye... (etc i cant write summarys)


BTCFGS (Biotic Training Camp for Gifted Students) ~ Mia Shepard's arrival

It was her first day on camp. She had been in the military before but never a special training camp. For gifted students! She was _only_ 24, an able vanguard though. Walking through the campus, she could see many talented people, adepts, sentinels and vanguards. Batting each other, training skills, and some even teaching. One man did catch her eye though, a sentinel. Muscular and tall, he looked kind by the way he was helping younger students. He caught her eyes wandering to him, and stared back for a moment. Giving a quick smile, he then turned back.

She hurried on to find the warden, passing what looked like a dining hall, and dorms. He was firing his biotics at a dummy, when she found him, but he soon stopped to talk. "Ah, Shepard. You're here. Heard of your arrival, I hear you're quite the vanguard." She looked at her feet, trying to figure out whether it was a compliment or not. "Well, I wouldn't say that. I'm no better than anyone else." The warden firmly slapped her shoulder. "Damn right soldier. At this camp, we're all the same. No better, no worse. Come, I'll give you the tour." He led her around the campus showing her various important places, and talking about the history. "You see, we started off about 30 years ago. Our founder, Mikael Stavonski. They say he was the best human biotic ever, but I don't believe there is a 'best'." They walked across the training area and through to the dining hall. "Here you'll eat. Breakfast at 7:30 until 8:15, need to get up bright and early. Lunch or snacks if you need it any time between 11:00 and 3:00 and then dinner around 5:30. Your roommates can tell you more." The smell of canteen food wafted out from the kitchen, beef, chips, all the usual. On the way to the bathroom blocks, she saw him again, flaring blue as he cast his biotics.

Shaking the thoughts away she followed the warden. "Shower blocks to your left, toilets, sinks on the right. I'm sure you can tell men's from women's." He looked at a small watch, tight around his wrist. "Better get moving then." Trudging through the gravel, they crossed over to the dorms. "Dorms, sleep, you know. You'll meet your roommates later on, but for now we need to get you to the barracks." A stone building behind the dorms waited for them. It looked old and had misted windows. They went inside and around a corner, where a few people leaned against the wall. "This is Shepard, newest trainee. Show her around the barracks and tell her what she needs to know." Then directing at Shepard. "I'll wait outside."

A girl with half a shaved head, and a mass of frizzy hair on the other side stepped forward. "This, is where you get your gear, skill-up, and get patched up- if you need to. Basically, me, Randy, and Mack watch over this place, help you with what you need and all that good stuff, a'ight?"

She nodded and looked around the room, stacks of boxes lay in corners, filled with monitors, omni-tools, medi-gel.

Shepard met the warden back outside again, he was tapping his fingers together and humming quietly. "Okay? Ready to meet your roommates?"

The dorms, separated into sections, leading off into different large rooms. One door had the number 48b marked on it in white marker pen. The warden rapped on the hard wooden surface and waited. It creaked open a crack, and a beady eye appeared. "Password." The warden frowned, and shoved on the door. "Benjamin. Open up, new roommate for you." He grinned and opened the door wider. "Welcome to the pack sistah!" The warden waved him off and turned to Shepard. "Nice people, they'll help you settle in nicely, I will see you around." He swiftly turned his back, and walked back out to the campus.

Shepard slowly entered her new room, and saw a girl, around her age. She had a short, black bob, and glasses and she was working on something that looked like paperwork. Benjamin (who'd opened the door) had an Afro, and darker skin, but was wearing really colourful clothes. The last roommate wasn't in the room, so Shepard guess she'd meet them later. "Yo Shepard, this is Zo, or Zoe." Zoe glanced up from her work and gave a little grin, so Shepard nodded back at her. "Great to have a new roommate, your bunk is that one over there." He pointed to a tall, beige bed. "Okay, every Friday night there's a disco in the rec room. We'll take you there. And if you want things that aren't particularly...permitted on the grounds…" he winked, "Then you can see Drew, you'll meet everyone around eventually. So uh... Settle in, I don't suppose you'll start today, chillax for now." He left the room, so only Zoe was left, doing her paperwork. Shepard hauled her luggage over to the bed and found an empty locker to store her stuff in. There was an end table beside her so she pulled out some things to put on that. Her phone, a small book, and a little wooden box containing her dog tags. Checking the time, she had a while until dinner so he wandered around the campus. One girl, an adept was showing off and somersaulting while launching her biotics. She landed gracefully and saw Shepard watching. "Well hey there sugar, enjoying the show?" She raised an eyebrow, then giggled and turned back.

When Shepard returned in the evening all her roommates were waiting, Zoe, Benjamin, and even the 'unknown'. He sat in an unlit corner with his dark fringe flopped over his face. When they saw Shepard get back they all started to make their way to the dining hall. "So, Shepard. What did you do before BTCFGS?" Benjamin asked her. "Well, I just worked in the Alliance, no special rank, just a soldier. What about you?" He looked at Zoe, then back to Shepard again. "Me and Zo are pretty much the same as you. Alliance soldiers. It's just Cameron..." Shepard pressed on with a questioning look, wanting to know more about him. "Well, BTCFGS normally only get people in from 20, but Cameron is what they call a Toxicant. That sounds harsh but it's just the name. Cameron was grabbed for camp at just 16, because he had a rare genetic mutation, instead of being implanted with an L3, he was already born with it, a bit like Asari." Benjamin paused, and looked to Cameron. He was trailing behind and looking at the floor. "It can be very stressful at that age, so usually if they find out, they want you as soon as they can have you. He's been here for...10 years now. If you want to know more, I suggest you ask him in person- if he'll talk that is."

In silence, they all walked on. She could see other groups joining up in the hall, and lining up with trays. Grabbing a tray as she joined the queue, she plonked it on the rail, and everyone slowly shuffled along.

The dinner lady, unenthusiasticly dumped some beef slop onto her plate, and grabbed a handful of chips. Shepard grimaced but quickly hid it, trying not to get into trouble. She scanned the room, looking for an empty seat. There were a few by some emo biotics, or a seat by Cameron. _I think I'll take my chance with him_. He looked up from the table as her tray clattered with the cold surface. "Hi." Shepard tried to make conversation. She wanted to know more about this... Toxicant, business. He only nodded faintly, and carried on eating. "So, uh, what's it like being...well you know, a Toxicant?" He paused, and held a fork in the air. "Painful. Stressful, and overall, not that great. Just because I've had more training than anyone else, doesn't mean I want to be, what I am." Shepard sighed. Not the greatest conversation starter. "My parents found out right after I was born - I'm guessing, I never knew them, I was shipped off to someone else's family." He avoided eye contact, and looked fairly expressionless. "I never knew my parents either... Both were spacers, both died out there. It's hard, I _know_ how you feel."

The one blue eye that was visible under his fringe sparked and made a connection. Maybe it was the start of an understanding.

Later that evening after dinner, Cameron and Shepard walked back to the dorm together. The only light was from the stars and shivered in the cold as her footsteps made a crunch on the frosted leaves. He noticed and shyly chuckled. "I should probably be a gentleman and give you my jacket." So he unzipped it and draped it around her shoulders. She pulled it around, and looked up. "Always wondered what it'd be like out there, when I was young, of course. Seemed like an amazing place, so far away."

Cameron didn't reply, he just stared into the dark void of space. Shepard ltilted her head, waiting for him to start walking again. He realised she was waiting and started to plod on.

They got back to the dorm, but nobody was there. "Ah shit. There was the disco, they ain't letting us in now...sorry." Shepard smiled. "Don't worry, that's fine. I like the peace."

Scanning on his laptop, in the corner, the extranet popped up and he gasped. "Ah yeah! There's a new apocalypse film on here, want to watch?" His eyes waiting expectantly, she couldn't refuse so she squashed up next to him on the sofa.

His warm, pale arm touched hers, and made her shiver. The film started and she shoved a handful of chips into her mouth, crunching as quietly as she could. Shepard wasn't scared of zombies - she laughed at them, not like a normal girl.

Or at least, that's what she though until halfway through the movie.

She scrunched up her eyes, and her hand grabbed Cameron's chest. He looked down and chuckled, then looked back to the screen.

When she heard the credits music come on she finally looked up again. She'd subconsciously buried her head in Cameron's shoulder but she never moved. "Well, that was fun, haha." Nervously laughing, he obviously wasn't used to that much socialisation. He didn't seem to let himself be accepted. It was sad really, she thought to herself. "Why do you like to be alone so much?" She asked, half muffled. He frowned a little, and opened his mouth but rethought his answer. "I- I guess I don't feel accepted...because I'm not like anyone else here."

He smelt of soft lime, a clean smell. It made Shepard inwardly smile. "Oh, I see. You must get... lonely?"

Cameron stared at the floor, expressionless once again, never answering. When he did look back up at Shepard, his visible eye looked slightly less expressionless and slightly more sad - which made Shepard's deep green eyes slant sadly. She felt more understanding with him than anyone else she knew, which was strange considering she hadn't known him long. Cameron broke eye contact after a while, stopping any awkwardness. He ruffled his fingers through his fringe, like boys do, and sighed. Shepard couldn't help but feel guilty, even though nothing was her fault. "You know, I never caught your name?" He did a half smile, and looked at her again. "Oh.." She laughed shyly. "Yeah, it's Mia."

She realised his hand slowly creeping up her thigh as she spoke. "That's - a pretty name." His hand finally came to rest on her hip, which made Shepard tingle. She usually would have stopped someone, but this time, it felt...right. Mid-thought, she was caught by shock as Cameron's soft lips grazed hers, sending goosebumps up her neck. She leaned forward, crushing her own lips back against his, feeling his tongue glide across her teeth. Her thoughts were a flurry of emotion and excitement.

Her hand slid up his back, feeling the hot skin, and something else. Smooth but yet, unnatural. A scar, stretching from one side, diagonally to the other. Her eyes widened and she pulled away. "Why?" Shepard questioned him with sad, but piercing eyes.

"I...I hate what I am. I...want to fit in...when I...think too much I - I have depression...probably from the pressure of being...well me."

He shifted his gaze to the back wall.

"But why would you do that to yourself? You could get help?"

Sighing he rubbed his temple. "I...didn't think they'd understand me. None of them are going through this. I realised it's only my fault that this happened - I'm to blame, so I deserve the pain." The pale pink scar ran deep, and long, slightly jagged. It was smooth but told a story. "Oh...no one deserves it - and it is not your fault! No one could help that you're like this. Don't hurt yourself - blame yourself. Not over this..." He felt a tear stinging his eye but he furiously blinked it away. Then he'd seem even weaker.


End file.
